Many great picture-takers have built audiences and careers from Instagram. Many, however, find themselves both unhealthily comparing themselves to others and getting little feedback.
One potential option is YouPic, a platform dedicated to photographers—with plenty of tools in place to help them grow as a creative. So, if you’re looking for an Instagram alternative, here’s why you should consider it.
What is YouPic?
YouPic is a social media startup based in Gothenburg, Sweden. The platform focuses on giving photographers a platform to share their work and post what they genuinely enjoy creating instead of trying to attract a few likes.
A basic YouPic membership is free. However, you can also pay for one of the various plans that give you extra perks. To learn more about these, check out our complete guide to YouPic.
So, now you know about what YouPic is. Below are the top seven reasons to choose it over Instagram…
1. Gain Valuable Feedback
Okay, so yes—you can get feedback on Instagram. But how often are the comments you receive genuinely constructive? Often, you’ll either get annoying one-worded comments, an emoji, or some form of spam.
On YouPic, you may still get a lot of one-worded responses. But alongside that, you’ll find that many comments you receive are genuinely helpful. Beyond that, other members can give your work a score based on:
Composition. Creativity. Content. Technique.
After receiving this feedback, you can use it to think about how you can improve your future pictures.
2. YouPic Has More of a Community Feel
While you can find a niche community on Instagram, the app attracts almost anyone and everyone. So, you’ll sometimes find it challenging to know who is and isn’t a photographer.
YouPic was designed for photographers and caters specifically to this audience. You’ll find it easier to sift through people you don’t want to follow and network with those you do. Beyond that, though, YouPic is less about the individual and has more of a sense of togetherness.
3. Reach a More Targeted Audience
When thinking about choosing YouPic over Instagram, one thing you’ll want to keep in mind is potential reach.
While Instagram has a much higher user count, you might argue that finding the right people on YouPic is easier. The platform has an “In the Spotlight” feature on its homepage, which pushes your content to potentially interested people without them needing to choose another tab.
Beyond promoting pictures alone, YouPic also has a section where users can search for photographers based on their specialties. So, if you’re looking for client work, this might be a route to consider.
4. Instagram Is Moving Away From Photo Sharing
Instagram grew to prominence by allowing users to easily share pictures. But for years, many people have argued that Instagram is no longer about photography.
As it goes, they were proven right. In July 2021, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri posted a video in a tweet in which he explicitly stated: “We are no longer a photo-sharing app."
Instagram’s continued shift to video is great for those who want to get involved in this type of content more. Not everyone, however, wants to get in front of the camera like that. On YouPic, you can focus solely on sharing photos without needing to worry about this.
5. Seek Inspiration From Others
In many people’s relationships with Instagram, one of the biggest problems is comparing themselves with others. And while it’s not possible to avoid this altogether, it becomes an issue when that comparison focuses on vanity metrics and stops you from going out and creating any work.
Of course, switching to another platform won’t necessarily stop you from comparing yourself to other photographers. However, you might see the change as a way to gain inspiration instead.
Rather than trying to copy whatever performs the best on Instagram, you can look at other people’s work you genuinely like and think about how to incorporate some aspects of it into your own.
6. Gain Endorsements
Even if you have no interest in building a presence, Instagram is a great way to show off your creative work. And sure, you can get some on-profile endorsements—mainly in the form of followers and what other people comment on your pictures.
But endorsements on Instagram aren’t the same as on, say, LinkedIn—where you can get people to upvote specific skills you have.
If you’re looking for additional certification on your profile, you’ll be delighted to hear that YouPic has a feature where others can endorse your talents. Once you’ve listed what you’re good at, others can give you a seal of approval if they agree.
7. Make Your Own Website
If you’re looking to become a professional photographer, you’ll probably decide to launch a website at some stage in the future.
Having a website is a great way to organically attract both clients and admirers of your work. However, you’ll need to put in a lot of work to do this. Search engine optimization (SEO), user experience, and coding are all things you may have to consider.
If you buy a premium membership for YouPic, you’ll get to build your own website. Even better than that, though, is that the company will handle SEO so you can focus your attention elsewhere.
Consider Trying YouPic Over Instagram and Up Your Photography Game
Instagram isn’t inherently evil, and your experience on the platform will primarily come down to who you follow. With that being said, photographers don’t need to stay tied to the platform if they feel like their relationship with it isn’t great.
Plenty of alternative photo-oriented platforms to Instagram exist, and so far, many of these still primarily focus on images. So, if you’re looking for a change, why not give YouPic a try?
